The project is neither a remake or a continuation of the recent two-film franchise that they began with 1998’s acclaimed “The Mask of Zorro” and followed with the less well-received 2005 “The Legend of Zorro”.

Instead this version is an origin tale of the hero based on Chilean author Isabel Allende’s 2005 novel. The Zorro character first appeared in Johnston McCulley’s 1919 novella “The Curse of Capistrano”, Allende’s work is a prequel to the events of that story and contains numerous references to other famous Zorro works including ‘Mask’.

Federman and Scaia currently serve as supervising producers on ABC’s “Charlie’s Angels” and previously adapted “River Of Doubt” for Junction Entertainment. The project is not to be confused with Fox’s rival sci-fi take “Zorro Reborn” which puts the character in a “Mad Max”-esque apocalyptic wasteland.